1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus. It also relates to a method of processing a document by such a facsimile apparatus, by e.g. either transmitting an image of the document to a remote location, or copying an image on the document, as appropriate.
2. Background
In a standard facsimile apparatus, a document to be transmitted is moved past a fixed reading device, and an image signal generated corresponding to the image on the document (whether words or graphics). That image signal may then be transmitted to a remote location e.g. via the telephone network, or maybe used to reproduce the image on material (normally paper) withdrawn from a roll thereof. In a similar way, an image signal of a document received by the facsimile apparatus via the telephone network from a remote location may be printed on the material withdrawn from the roll.
In such a conventional facsimile apparatus, it is not possible for the facsimile apparatus to scan documents other than in sheet form, because the document must be moved passed the reading device, and in practice this is normally achieved by drawing the document sheet through a nip between rotating rollers. Thus, it is not possible for a conventional facsimile apparatus to transmit a page of a bound book. If such a page is to be transmitted, it must first be copied by a suitable copying apparatus onto a sheet, so that sheet can be transmitted. Therefore, facsimile apparatuses have been developed in which a scanning means is movable relative to a transparent plate which can receive the document thereon. Thus, a page of a bound book may be placed on the transparent plate, and the scanning means operated. The scanning means then moves relative to the transparent plate to generate the image signal. Of course, such a facsimile apparatus may also transmit an image from a document in sheet form, by placing the sheet on the transparent plate. Examples of such facsimile apparatuses are shown in JP-A-60-118553, JP-A-60-232345, JP-63-117851, and JP-A-2-174362.
Another feature of conventional facsimile apparatuses is that they print onto material (normally paper) which is withdrawn from a roll. Therefore, the user must buy special paper for the facsimile apparatus, and cannot use plain paper sheets which are more readily available. Therefore, facsimile apparatuses have been proposed in which plain paper sheets are used.
One existing facsimile apparatus, the Fuji Xerox Able 3015 facsimile apparatus, combines both of the developments discussed above. In that facsimile apparatus, there are two reading modes, by which a document is scanned. Firstly, a document in sheet form can be scanned in the normal way, by moving the sheet past suitable scanning means. Secondly, a document in book or sheet form may be placed on a transparent plate and scanned. Printing of images occurs on cut sheets, making use of laser printer technology. The resulting apparatus is large and expensive.